Washington Wizards: deep dive into the play of Corey Kispert

While the overall shooting performance of the Washington Wizards has been poor this season, the same cannot be said about Corey Kispert. He is one of the best sharpshooters in the league and is shooting over 42% from beyond the three-point arc.

Kispert’s shot chart is an analytical dream. He almost exclusively shoots from beyond the arc and right at the rim, the two most efficient shots in the game. This causes his effective field goal percentage to skyrocket to an otherworldly 64%. On top of his elite efficiency, he is averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.

His efficiency and other key skills in his arsenal have been key to keeping the Wizards afloat on offense. Despite his unreal efficiency, his team is an average team on offense, sitting right at 15th in the league in offensive rating.

What does Corey Kispert bring to the table other than shooting?

While at first Kispert seems like a Duncan Robinson type player, his bag goes much deeper than just the three-point shot. For example, he is one of the best forwards in the Eastern Conference when it comes to cutting off the ball.

Along with Kristaps Porzingis, Kispert helps keep the offense moving by moving without the basketball incredibly well. While they are far from the Golden State Warriors in that aspect, those two are among he best in the East in that category.

Due to his motion on offense, he is able to sometimes find wide open looks in the paint, punishing the defense for not keeping tabs on him or for doubling one of the three All-Star caliber players on the roster.

Kispert has also displayed some ability to put the ball on the floor and create shots at the basket for himself. He is surprisingly quick and can find lanes incredibly well. On top of this, he revealed to the world that he is capable of 360 dunks, something that caught many Wizards fans off guard when he did it following the first quarter buzzer in their last game against the Atlanta Hawks.

He also put Paul Reed on a poster in the following game against the 76ers off of an off-ball cut. He scored 25 in that game, a career high.

Combine his sneaky athleticism and his ability to cut off the ball and it’s no surprise that Corey Kispert is shooting 78.4% from within three feet. Actually, that is a ridiculous percentage for an NBA player that’s considered a shooting specialist.

His ability to score at the rim is a huge reason why he is averaging 9.7 points per game, but he should probably be averaging more. One of the biggest factors holding Kispert back from having a breakout season this year is the lack of offensive game plan.

They Wizards fail to find their shooters off of drives, often times only giving it to them in last second heave situations with a defender in good position. Although, it’s usually Kyle Kuzma in this situation, Kispert has found himself here more than a few times this season.

His teammates have also failed to find him on back door cuts more often than not. This leaves him with a good angle and momentum heading towards the hoop but without the basketball.

While the Wizards have gotten better in recent weeks at finding him off of cuts, he has still occasionally found himself in good position without the ball. A true point guard could be the solution to that particular problem.

The only real weakness for Corey Kispert and the way he likes to play is his limited defensive impact. While he is a better defender than some other players on the roster, he is still average even on his best nights on that end of the floor. If he becomes a good defender, he will be a player making quite a bit of money in the NBA.

Corey Kispert has been one of the more underrated players in the league this season. The Washington Wizards did well picking him up in the draft two years ago and is probably Tommy Sheppard’s best draft selection so far.